ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Home Affairs
BPR&D to organize a National Level Seminar cum Exhibition and Demonstration on Anti-Drone Technology
The Bureau of Police Research & Development , under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is organizing a National Level Seminar cum Exhibition on Anti-Drone Technology at BPR&D, HQ New Delhi on September 26, 2019 and Demonstration on September 27, 2019 at BSF Campus, Bhondsi, Haryana.
The objective of the seminar cum exhibition and demonstration is to ensure that Police officers from all States, Union Territories, CAPFs, CPOs have updated information about Anti- Drone Technology and to explore the best comprehensive and compatible solution to control rogue drones.
The Seminar would be covering three sessions, as given below:
- ‘Threat Perspective— Border — Oil/Gas — Critical Infrastructure — Civil Aviation — Terrorism — Law enforcement' would be covered by distinguished panellists from States Police, CAPFs, IAF, Industry and ONGC to highlight threats from rogue drones.
- 'Understanding Anti-Drone Detection, Identification, Tracking, Mitigation of Rogue Drones would be covered by distinguished panellists from the industry so that the participants are familiarised with the latest Anti — Drone technologies/equipment available.
- 'Policy Framework for Anti-Drone Technology' would be covered by distinguished panellists from DGCA, Bureau of Civil Aviation, Airport Authority of India and Industry.
More than 100 Police officers / delegates including Senior Police Officers from States/UTs/CAPFs/CPOs would be participating in the two-day seminar cum exhibition and demonstration. About eight firms are participating in the exhibition and field demonstration.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Use of Satellite Imagery-Based Yield and Crop Health Estimation
The Dr. P K Mishra Committee was constituted in September, 2013 to review the implementation of crop insurance schemes in India. The Committee submitted its report in May, 2014 recommending the use of satellite remote sensing data for various applications related to yield and crop health estimation for crop insurance. In this regard, several activities have been carried out, such as -
- Use of satellite remote sensing derived yield values for smart sampling and optimization of Crop Cutting Experiments  being conducted under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana .
- Use of satellite remote sensing to assess the discrepancy between the actual sown area and the insurance area and compute the Areas Correction Factor .
- Use of satellite imagery for resolving disputes between the State Governments and Insurance Companies related to crop yield estimates.
- Yield data quality checking using remote sensing.
- Qualitative crop loss and health assessment using satellite remote sensing.
- Use of satellite remote sensing for assessing the areas of preventive sowing or failure of crop emergence.
- Use of long-term satellite remote data for risk assessment which have been used for clustering of districts.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves amendment to National Institute of Design  Act, 2014
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for introduction of Bill in Parliament for amendment of NID Act, 2014 to include the four new National Institutes of Design  viz. National Institute of Design, Amaravati/Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh; National Institute of Design, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; National Institute of Design, Jorhat, Assam and National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra, Haryana within the ambit of the National Institute of Design Act, 2014 and to declare them as Institutions of National Importance  at par with the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Some minor amendments to the Act including consequential amendments considered necessary namely, to re-name NID Vijayawada as NID Amaravati and nomenclature of Principal Designer as equivalent to Professor are also proposed in the Bill.
Establishing new NIDs as Institutions of National Importance in different geographical regions of the country will help produce highly skilled manpower in design which, in turn, will create job opportunities, both direct and indirect, by providing sustainable design interventions for crafts, handloom, rural technology, small, medium and large scale enterprises; and outreach programmes for capacity, capability and institution building.
Ministry of Defence
Curtain Raiser
Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-2020
Fifth edition of Joint Military Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-2020 between India and United Kingdom will be conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 13 to 26 February 2020. The exercise will comprise of 120 soldiers each from Indian and United Kingdom Army who would be sharing their experiences gained during conduct of various counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in the past.
The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorists operation in Urban and Semi Urban areas. Training on modern weapon systems, equipment and simulator training have also been planned. Notably, in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR with United Kingdom is an important exercise in terms of the security challenges faced by both the nations in the realm of changing facets of global terrorism. The exercise is conducted alternatively in United Kingdom and India.
The joint military exercise displays a bilateral willingness to work jointly and share operating procedures to deal with a situation in a specified operational setting. Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR will promote defence cooperation and enhance interoperability while sharing experiences between both the armies.
Col Aman Anand
PRO 
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Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
In a First, National Cooperative Development Corporation  Secures Euro 68.87 Million  Loan from Deustsche Bank
The Agreement will strengthen Indo-German Relations: Narendra Singh Tomar
MOU between NCDC and Indian Chambers of Commerce
The National Cooperative Development Corporation  has secured Euro 68.87 million  loan from Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest bank, for onward lending to cooperatives in the country. An agreement was inked between NCDC and the German Bank in this regard in presence of the Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi today. The Minister also presided over signing of an agreement between the Indian Chamber of Commerce and NCDC to boost farmers linkages with markets.
The Agriculture Minister said that the Prime Minister has given a new vision to India’s agrarian landscape and to her economic relations with Germany. He added that the Farmer Producer Organizations being set up in the country would be able to access easier credit and market through the NCDC agreements with ICC and Deutsche Bank, this will help small and marginal farmers.
This is for the first time that one of the largest European banks in the world is lending to the NCDC, thus reflecting the confidence of the global financial institution in the Indian development finance institution, particularly at a time when global economic turmoil created by the Covid-19 crisis has made lending a challenging proposition.
Deutsche Bank’s initiative in India is just one of the many key business interests shown by German companies in India over the years. Today, more than 1700 German companies are active in India, providing around 4, 00,000 direct and indirect jobs. Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and among India's top ten global trade partners.
Set up in 1963, the NCDC is a development finance statutory institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It has extended loans to the tune of Euro 16 Billion to cooperatives of various sizes since 2014. With zero net NPA, NCDC has Pan India presence with its 18 regional directorates catering to all the States.
Shri Parshottam Ruapala, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, DAC&FW, GOI, Shri Sundeep Kumar Nayak, MD, NCDC and Shri Dileep Sanghani, President, NCUI were also present on this occasion.
Ministry of Defence
HADR Operations by IAF in Kerala
Many parts of Kerala continue to be affected by landslides and floods. Indian Air Force responded immediately to the crisis in extending all possible assistance to the residents of Kerala through Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief  missions. Concerted efforts were made by IAF in rescuing stranded people from the flooded areas. Ladies, children, elderly people and residents were winched from the rooftops of submerged houses to safety by IAF helicopters. Till date, IAF has rescued 663 people. IAF helicopters have also dropped of food and water packets to the stranded people in the affected areas. Transport aircraft from all corners of the country have been flying day and night to ensure relief material is available in the relief camps.
Since yesterday, water has started receding from the flood affected districts. Today, IAF reduced the rescue effort and has increased the relief operations. Till date 974 T of relief material has been airlifted to Kerala state. Medical teams from Southern Air Command and Training Command have been deployed at various places to provide medical assistance. In addition, No 1 Rapid Action Medical Team  has been airlifted from Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru to Thiruvanathapuram to assist in the medical relief efforts to the residents of Kerala. RAMT has the capability to provide both medical and surgical emergency medical care. Additionally, 119 Doctors with 63 T of medicine and equipment has been airlifted to Kochi and Thiruvanathapuram for further positioning at various medical camps.
Ministry of Railways
48 Gati Shakti Multi Cargo Terminals Commissioned
Master Circular Issued On ‘Policy For Management Of Railways Land’ To Achieve The Goals Set Out In Pm Gati Shakti Framework
To achieve the goals set out in PM Gati Shakti framework, a master circular on “Policy for Management of Railway land” which includes provisions for leasing of railway land for cargo related activities, public infrastructure, railway exclusives use, etc. has been issued on 04.10.2022. Railway land can be leased for cargo related projects/facilities for period up to 35 years at annual lease charges of 1.5% of market value of land by transparent methods of competitive bidding. The revised railway land management policies will enable integrated development of infrastructure. A master circular related to development of Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals Railway has been issued on 06.12.2022. Since such commercial policies are open-ended programmes continuing on railways, consequential development of cargo terminals coupled with generation of sizeable employment is also likely to be a continuous process in future. The zone-wise details of Gati Shakti Multi Cargo Terminals including South Central Railway commissioned so far are as under:
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Zonal Railways
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No. of GCTs commissioned
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Central Railway
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|
1
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|
Eastern Railway
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|
3
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|
East Central Railway
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|
4
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|
East Coast Railway
|
|
2
|
|
Northern Railway
|
|
2
|
|
North Central Railway
|
|
1
|
|
North Eastern Railway
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|
3
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|
Northeast Frontier Railway
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|
2
|
|
North Western Railway
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|
5
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|
Southern Railway
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|
1
|
|
South Central Railway
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|
9
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|
South Eastern Railway
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|
4
|
|
South East Central Railway
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|
3
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|
South Western Railway
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|
2
|
|
Western Railway
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|
6
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West Central Railway
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-
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Total
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48
This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
HIL  Limited has supplied 114.2 MT of DDT to Zambia for Malaria control programme
HIL  Limited, a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has supplied 114.2 Metric tonne  of DDT 75 % WP to zambiya for their Malaria control program.
HIL CMD Shri SP mohanty said that This is the last phase of dispatch out of 307 MT order received from Ministry of health jambia .HIL has also executed supplies of 20.6 MT to South Africa recently and in progress of supplies of 129 MT to Zimbabwe.
HIL  is the sole manufacturer of DDT globally. The company was incorporated in the year 1954 to manufacture and supply DDT to Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for malaria control programme. in the year 2019-20, the product was supplied to 20 States In the country. The Company is also exporting the product to many African countries.
Malaria continues to be one of the major public health problems gobally. WHO recommends DDT as one of the efficient IRS chemical to curb malaria mosquito menace and it is widely used by Southern African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique etc. India is commited to manufacture and supply quality products at reasonable prices to the Southern African region ,which will strengthen our bilateral relationship.
President's Secretariat
President of India’s Greetings on the eve of Janmashtami
(The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in his message on the eve of Janmashtami has said:-
“On the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens in India and abroad.
Lord Shri Krishna inspires us to establish a society that is just, sensitive and compassionate. His message of Karmayoga is a call to focus on our responsibilities rather than caring for rewards. This spirit has been evident in the working of all our Corona warriors who act at the forefront of our fight against COVID-19.
As we celebrate this festival, let us all resolve to follow the timeless and universal teachings of Lord Krishna for the betterment of our lives and humanity”.
Click here to see President's message in Hindi
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
MoS Tribal Affairs, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat participates in Swachh Bharat Parva at Lohardaga as part of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
As part of the “Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan”, the “Swachh Bharat Parva” was organized all over the country yesterday. The Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat participated in Swachh Bharat Parva celebrations at Lohardaga in Jharkhand.
Shri Sudarshan Bhagat greatly appreciated the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and added that it is due to the efforts of the Prime Minister that today, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has taken the shape of a public movement.
He further empahsised on the importance being given to the Mission by the Government. Through several initiatives like Swachhta Pakhwada, Swachhta Action Plan etc., the Government is trying to link people from all over the country and all walks of life into this Movement, the Minister said.
Beginning on 2nd October, 2014, the Swachhta Campaign has been implemented by the Central Government all over the country with the help of States, NGOs, PSUs, Corporate Houses among others due to which 1.95 lakhs villages and 137 districts in the country have now become open defecation free, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat explained. The Swachhta Parv celebrations were organized by the representatives of Panchayats and local rural people at Lohardaga.
Ministry of Tourism
Gaya and Nalanda have been selected for development under Swadesh Darshan 2.0: Shri G. Kishan Reddy
Key Highlights:
- The Ministry has now revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0  with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations, following a tourist & destination centric approach
- Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi District of Bihar is a site identified for development under PRASHAD Scheme of Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Tourism  under its Schemes of Swadesh Darshan, Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive  and Assistance to Central Agencies provides assistance to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies for development of Tourism infrastructure in the country. The projects for development under the schemes are identified in consultation with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies and are sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable detailed project reports, adherence to scheme guidelines and utilization of funds released earlier etc.
The Ministry has now revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0  with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations, following a tourist & destination centric approach. Gaya and Nalanda have been selected for development under SD2.0 whereas Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi District of Bihar is a site identified for development under PRASHAD Scheme of MoT.
This information was given by Minister of Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Blue Flag Certification for beaches
The Ministry has embarked upon a programme for ‘Blue Flag’ Certification for select beaches in the country. This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e.  Environmental Education and Information,  Bathing Water Quality,  Environment Management and Conservation and  Safety and Services in the beaches. The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an Eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide to the tourists/beach goers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.
13 pilot beaches that have been identified for the certification, in consultation with concerned coastal States/UTs, are Ghoghala Beach , Shivrajpur beach , Bhogave , Padubidri and Kasarkod , Kappad beach , Kovalam beach , Eden beach , Rushikonda beach , Miramar beach , Golden beach , Radhanagar beach  and Bangaram beach .
Rushikonda beach in Andhra Pradesh also features in the list of 13 pilot beaches, for development of facilities and infrastructure accordingly.
This information was provided by Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Babul Supriyo in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Gen V K Singh emphasises importance of Telecommunication network along National Highways in providing better services and reducing road accidents
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation GenDr V K Singh today said that the Telecommunication network is being used in a big way along the National Highways in order to provide better services to the road users. Highlighting the achievements of the Telecommunications department and their impact on all other Ministries and departments in a Press Conference in New Delhi he said MoRTH is coordinating with the Department of Telecommunications to ensure that there is an uninterrupted mobile phone network along the National Highways.
The Minister said “An initiative is underway to expand 4G coverage in uncovered villages by installing mobile towers to ensure 4G services reach every nook and corner of the country. This will directly benefit our road network, enabling us to prevent accidents and mishaps effectively”.
Dr Singh said “In India, the expansion of 5G network is progressing rapidly. Approximately 1 lakh sites were completed in 5 months, followed by 2 lakh in 8 months and 3 lakh in 10 months, which will greatly benefit our road network.” He said: “Additionally, we are making the tolling system satellite and camera-based. A pilot project is underway to implement barrierless tolling, which uses satellite based technology, on the Delhi-Meerut Express. We are also working on improving Optical Fibre network.”
Dr Singh said total outlay for the mobile tower projects is more than Rs 43,868 Crore. He said 5G has been rolled out in 631 districts. The Minister also spoke about the BSNL revival package.
Ministry of Defence
INDIA ENHANCES MILITARY DIPLOMACY WITH INAUGURAL
FEMALE MILITARY OFFICERS COURSE FOR ASEAN NATIONS
Marking a significant milestone in its military diplomacy, India proudly concludes its premier Female Military Officers Course for officers from ASEAN countries and the Indian Army today. Spearheaded by the Indian Army’s vision for gender neutrality and women empowerment, this initiative, themed on the UN framework, was organised under the stewardship of the Ministry of Defence.
Hosting such a transformative course reinforces India’s commitment to fostering deeper international collaboration while championing gender equality in the armed forces. This is especially pertinent in light of India’s longstanding commitment to the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting  and the ADMM-Plus.
The course has been designed to elevate leadership competencies, strategic acumen, and operational efficacy among female officers, while offering a rich platform for cross-cultural interaction and mutual professional development. Participants delved into an enriching mix of dynamic workshops, tactical simulations, and expert lectures.
Integral to the course’s structure is the inclusion of India’s storied legacy in UN peacekeeping. The course was conducted under the aegis of the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in India, renowned globally, and has a rich history of training and deploying peacekeepers across various UN missions. Participants had the unique opportunity to receive a demonstration on UN peacekeeping drills, offering them insights into the rigorous standards India upholds in international peace missions.
In addition to the academic and tactical elements, participants were exposed to India’s rich culture and heritage. They participated in the organised yoga sessions and went on heritage tours of Delhi and Agra. They were also introduced to the ‘Made in India’ equipment set to be a part of upcoming UN missions.
As the curtains come down on this maiden venture, it stands not only as a testament to India’s evolving military diplomacy but also as a beacon of hope for stronger ASEAN-India ties, and the future role of women in peacekeeping and defence sectors globally.
SC,RS, VY
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